Growing Pains
by Ytak
Summary: AU As Clockwork said, life is full of twists and turns. Some are not as dramatic or life changing as others. Sometimes, like in the case of Danny, it is trying enough to get through each day with unusual responsibilities while trying to be a normal life.
1. Ch 1: Waiter, I’d like the check now

In honor of new episode of DP that airs tomorrow, I have decided to post the first chapter to my fic staring the relationship between Danny and Valerie. FYI, I will support either D/S or D/V fanfiction if it is well written. I appreciate that who you date when you're 14 is probably not who you are going to merry. So, read and have fun. If you have an constructive criticism, drop me a review.

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Chapter 1: Waiter, I'd like the check now

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Danny picked at his lunch, a sullen expression on his face. "I can't believe it! Ember, two new ghosts and the Box Ghost, all in one night! They're killing my already none existent social life, in addition to, any study time I might be able to get."

Tucker put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Well, they say it gets worse before it gets better. That means something good is going to happen soon at this rate." He picked up his meat burger and took a big bite. Sam cringed as he spoke with his mouth full. "Besides," Tucker said, "You gotta be getting better. You wouldn't have been able to handle that many before."

"Geee, thanks Tuck," Danny said unenthusiastically. "That makes me feel leaps and bounds better despite that fact I'm almost failing English…again."

"Tucker has a point," Sam said. Her face lit up, "I know, you can leave the ghosts in the thermos for a few days, that'll give them less of a chance to come back so soon."

"Maybe," he said listlessly, picking at his food like product from the lunch line with a fork.

"Hey, Danny," said a familiar voice, "Mind if I sit down?"

Danny turned in his seat and saw Valerie. He smiled and scooted over, "Don't mind at all. Have a seat. Not like you have any competition from the rest of the school."

She sat on the other side of Danny and opened her sack lunch. "What's your problem, Manson?" Valerie asked sharply, looking across the table.

Danny and Tucker looked at Sam. Sam was not simply glaring at Valerie. She was sending a positively venomous look she normally reserved for Paulina at Valerie. "Nothing's wrong, Grey." _What do you think you're doing?_

_Jealous? Too afraid to act? I warned you that you shouldn't wait. I'll show you how its done, Mason._

Tucker and Danny looked at each other. "Why do I feel that I just missed something?" asked Danny asked quietly, watching the girls glare at each other from the corner of his eye.

Tucker whispered, "It must be one of those girl things. I've heard they can whole conversations without saying a word." He slipped his PDA out of his bag and snapped a picture of the glaring girls. He snickered, "I'm calling this one 'Jealous Tension.'"

"Oh," he looked back and forth at Valerie and Sam. They were still glaring at each other when an unspoken signal went between them and they stopped glaring at each other and focused their attention on the boys.

"So, Danny, how have you been lately?" Valerie asked. Sam shot her a look but was ignored.

"Not too bad. Actually, I could be doing better. Umm, been kind of busy with some of my parents stuff. Can't really talk about it," Danny lied smoothly.

"Too busy to see a movie Friday night?" Valerie asked casually as she eyed the potato chip in her hand.

"Um, nope. Why?" he asked, curiously.

"You want to go see _Monster Alien Ninja Zombies 3_?" She asked, finishing off her small lunch.

"Sure! I've been wanting to see that movie for weeks! Where do you want to meet?"

"In front of the theater at six. Gotta run now. See you then, Danny," Valerie said smiling and waving her fingers at him as she stood up and left the table. Danny gave her a quick wave back and addressed his attention back to his school lunch. After a few bites he noticed that his friends were strangely silent. They wore similat expressions of surprise. "What?"

"Whoa. Oh man, whoa," said a flabbergasted Tucker. "Dude, she just asked you out on a date. And you accepted."

Danny spit out the milk he was drinking in surprise. He grabbed a napkin and wiped off his mouth. Sam wore a sour expression on her face. She said dryly, "Apparently Romeo here failed to realize that." She leaned forward, "So, you didn't notice that she just asked you and not all of us to come?"

"Me? On a date with Valerie?" Danny squeaked not noticing Sam's question. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or worried."

Tucker brought up a hand and began listing off some points, "Let's see, you got asked out by a pretty cute girl but she also happens to be the person who's spent a good deal of time trying to hunt down your alter ego because she believes that he is responsible for her family becoming poor and her loss in social status." Tucker adjusted his glasses, "No, I wouldn't be worried at all." He snickered, "And I got another great picture today. Spraying milk is always a classic."

Sam sighed, "It shouldn't be a problem unless a ghost shows up. Then you know she's going to find an excuse to hunt it so you'd be able to transform with no problem. Even then, it probably wouldn't be a big problem unless she saw you change. She'll probably just think you're patient of something." She slumped in her seat, looking dejected.

Danny gave her a concerned look, "Are you okay, Sam?"

Before she could answer, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "Later," she said, as Danny paused on his way out. Tucker hurried up to walk along side Sam for an extra moment. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before he headed off for his class.

Danny ran up to his best friend, earning the glare of a hassled cafeteria worker. "Hey, Sam? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Valerie just gets under my skin sometimes," she said dismissively. Giving a quirky smile, she said, "Shouldn't you get to class? I know its on the other side of the building any you'll get another detention if you don't hurry."

"Aw shot! See you later!" Danny said, not quite running for the door.

Sam watched her best friend weave his way through the throngs of people. She sighed and looked down. "I hope this is the right thing."

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I'll update next Thurs. 

1-12-06


	2. Ch 2: He isn’t playing the most dangerou

Guess I should say that this takes place outside of the official continuity. Here "Flirting with Disaster" hasn't happened buteverything before it has happened.

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Chapter 2: He isn't playing the most dangerous game 

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Danny waved good bye to Tucker and Sam as they left the building. His eyes followed Sam closely as she slipped through the doors to freedom. She had not made many of her usual remarks that day. "I wish I could ask her what wrong right now." He looked at the library door, where detention was being held that week, and gave a long-suffering sigh. "After today, I'll have only three more detentions. Wonder how long it will be before I get more?" he asked himself as he pushed the door open and walked towards Mr. Lancer to report in.

Detention flew by as Danny worked on some homework and thought about what had happened at lunch. _I didn't even have to do anything to get her to ask me out. It's kind of amusing to be the one asked out. It's embarrassing to realize that I didn't know she _was _asking me out. Is that why Sam is unhappy? What bugs her so much about Valerie and why does Sam harbor such dislike? _He smiled wryly to himself, _Besides the whole ghost hunting thing. _Danny blushed slightly, _I wonder if it has anything to do with the fake-out make-out?_

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, _Why are girls so complicated? _He snorted slightly, earning a glare from a passing librarian. _It's not as if I can ask Jazz and, especially, Sam, why they are so complicated. I would like to continue living._

"Well, that will be all for today, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer said, standing up. He gave Danny a slightly malicious smile, "I'll see you for detention tomorrow. Let's hope that you can stay out of enough trouble to not have to be here next week."

_Oh goody,_ he thought sarcastically, _Just what I want and need, more quality time with Lancer._ "It I had it my way, I wouldn't be here ever again," Danny said.

"I'm sure," Mr. Lancer said dryly, putting another red mark on the paper he was grading. After the last student in detention left, Lancer looked around and slipped onto one of the computers in the library. Opening a special folder, he logged onto the internet and began to play.

Danny left the library and headed home. At home, he logged onto his computer and began to play _Doomed_, joining Sam and Tucker in the quest for the seven silver keys to control the internet. Hours later, the trio gave up after being blasted by a guy with an 'L' on his chest four separate times.

"Man, that guy is tough. He's like the best player out there," Danny typed.

"I know. The guy practically owns _Doomed_. What does he do all day? Play it?" asked Tucker.

"Who knows?" typed Sam, "For all we know, he could be one of our teachers.

"Not possible," Danny and Tucker typed.

Sam asked, "And why does it have to be a he? You guys thought I was a 'he' before I showed you."

A minute slipped by in embarrassed 'silence' for the boys before Tucker switched back to the earlier topic.

Tucker replied, "Teachers are too out of touch to play a cool game like this."

"Got to go. It looks like the Box Ghost is back," said Danny, watching the ghost circle his room yelling 'Beware!'

"Again!" Sam and Tucker typed simultaneously.

"See ya guys later," said Danny logging off and changing into Danny Phantom. "Aw, drat, I forgot to ask Sam what was wrong. Even her playing seemed a little different. Definitely more aggressive." He smacked his forehead, "Awww, Why didn't I think of that before?" He shuddered, "It must be 'that time of the month.'" With a clearer mind he focused his attention on the irritating ghost.

"Beware! For I am the Box Ghost, master of all things square and corrugated," the ghost said, holding his arms above his head in a menacing fashion.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill." Danny smiled, "How about we skip the usual dance and you just let me capture you in the thermos right now?"

"I cannot be contained by any cylindrical container!" the Box Ghost yelled, flying around the room and summoning all the boxes in the room.

"You say that every time," said Danny as he flew at the ghost and proceeded to defeat him- again. He landed on the ground and changed back as he heard the pounding of feet up the stairs. Seconds later, his parents burst into his room. He dropped the thermos to the floor and kicked it gently under the bed.

"The sensors said there was a ghost in here!" said Jack, wildly swinging around the Fenton Bazooka.

"What happened to you room, Danny?" asked his mother, eyeing the boxes and clothes strewn all over the place.

"Was it a ghost?" asked Jack excitedly. "I'll get him!"

"Um," Danny looked around nervously, "I didn't see any ghost. And, uh, I was trying to find something. I don't know what set off the sensors."

"Hmmm, I guess we have to calibrate the equipment again," Maddie said. She held up the Fenton Ghost Detector and played around with the instrument. "It still is reading the presence of a ghost."

Jack leaned over and looked at the screen. "Again! I thought we fixed that darn thing," Jack grumbled. He snatched the ghost detector from his wife and shook it around.

"Jack! Don't do that!" She took the equipment from him and looked it over. Now the screen displayed twenty ghosts. "Just great, Jack. Now it has to be completely recalibrated." Jack's face feel under his wife's remonstrance.

"Umm, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to start picking up," Danny said.

"Okay, dear," Maddie replied. His parents left his room. He could hear them arguing about what might have caused the (original) equipment malfunction again.

Danny let out the breath he was holding, "Whoa. That was another close one." A blue wisp from his mouth alerted him to the presence of another ghost. He turned around and saw the departing glow of ghost through his window.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the ghost fly away. He reached under his bed fro the thermos and discovered that it was gone. Putting two and two together, Danny realized that the ghost probably took the thermos.

For the second time in almost as many minutes, Danny was flying after another ghost. One question kept circling through his mind as he chased the ghost. _Why would it want to steal the thermos? Only the Box Ghost is in there and he's an annoyance, not a threat._

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"The Most Dangerous Game" is the title of a short story by Richard Connell. It's a story about a hunter becoming the hunted by another man. 

I'll be updating on Fridays because it is more convenient for me.

Posted: 11-20-06


	3. Ch 3: We all suffer from little horrors

Chapter 3: We all suffer from little horrors

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Danny flew quickly until he was twenty feet behind the ghost. He slowed and looked at the ghost, trying to figure out who it was (assuming he had met the ghost before). Abruptly, the ghost stopped and turned to face Danny while giving him a cheeky grin and waving. 

Danny made a face. The ghost was a rather plain looking girl-ghost. She wore a long ruffled skirt to her calves and a blouse- that were severely out of date. Over one shoulder was a bag that looked like it was holding many books. "Hey," she said, "I'm going to borrow this for a while. The Box Ghost owes my boyfriend some boxes."

"Really…," Danny said.

"Well, he's not my boyfriend yet but he will be so _happy_ when I bring him Boxie," she babbled, doing a rather good impression of an airhead.

Danny interrupted her before she could continue doing a good impression of a babbling brook, "Look, that thermos belongs to me. I'll let The Box Ghost go back into the Ghost Zone tonight and you can take him from there."

She cocked her head, giving him a puzzled look. The she straightened out with a silly smile. "I can't do that because you offended him, too." She tried to clap her hands together in excitement, fumbling the thermos. She tucked it under her arm so she could use both her hands, "In fact, he'd be even happier if I brought you in, too!"

Danny floated there a moment while he watched her fumble with the thermos. She took the cap off and pointed it at him. Nothing happened. Danny pinched the bridge of his nose to hold off an approaching headache. As she fumbled with the thermos, Danny asked, "Who are you and who isn't your boyfriend."

She stopped paused in her attempts to figure the thermos out and said, "I'm sorry. I'm Bookworm! And I'm going to meet my soon-to-be boyfriend Ghostwriter! Actually, I'm going to go visit him at his home. With any luck, he'll be back at his home now and writing again." She gave Danny an excited look, "Did you know he's my _favorite_ author of all time?"

Danny dropped about three feet from surprise. He floated back up to the same level as Bookworm. "You want to have Ghostwriter as your boyfriend? And how is he getting out now?" Danny moved around in confusion, "For such a little thing like handling a 'real world' item, I got a lot more time than that!"

She made a dismissive motion, "Pfft! Walker just doesn't like you. There's a law in his books that allows him to give longer sentences to ghosts he doesn't like."

Danny shook off his surprise (and secretly vowed to find some way to really irritate Walker in the future). "I think I'm going to take the thermos back now," he said flatly, flying closer to her.

"Stay away," she yelled, pulling a few pencils from her bag at him, forcing him to duck. As he got closer, she took the bag off her shoulder, charged it with energy, and swung it at him. Danny dodged the swinging bag.

"Ah ha!" she said triumphantly, as she hit a button and the thermos started to glow. Danny, almost shot off in a different direction but stopped cold as he watched Bookworm suck herself into the thermos. He swooped down and caught the thermos and lid before they hit the ground.

"Sheesh, you'd think she would know better than to look right into it. That's like saying 'today can't get any worse' which it almost always can," Danny said, shaking his head as he flew back to his house.

Quickly, he entered his room and changed back. He held his breath as he waited for the thundering steps that usually followed the presence of any ghost in his room. He let out his breath, "Whoo, I guess they haven't gotten the Ghost Finder fixed yet. With any luck it will take them a while." With distaste, he turned his attention to his backpack. Reluctantly, he pulled out that day's homework and began to work his way slowly through it.

An unusual silence settled in around the house. Danny shifted uneasily. Standing, he went downstairs and discovered a note on the kitchen table. "Danny," it read, "Your father, Jazz and I have gone out shopping. We won't be back before dinner. Help yourself to the hot dogs in the refrigerator door. Love, Mom."

Danny suppressed a shutter at the thought of the hot dogs. "I thought we got rid of those a long time ago," he muttered. Then he noticed a P.S. at the bottom of the note. "P.S. Those are new hot dogs. I heated them up for you."

This time, Danny did not hold back on the shuttering. He listened for a moment and realized that he could hear movement in the refrigerator. "No thanks, Mom, I think I'll have something that does try to eat me back."

He walked over to the phone and called Tucker. "Hey, Tucker."

"Hey, Danny. What's up?" Tucker asked.

"You want to go out to the Nasty Burger for supper? My family is out and I'm too afraid to look in the refrigerator after the note my mom left."

Tucker laughed, "Sure, dude. Just let me see if it is okay with my parents." Danny waited a Tucker talked to his parents. He eyed the refrigerator warily when he heard movement in it.

"Ya still there?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah."

"My parents said it's cool, especially since I told them your mom tried to make you supper. So, it's okay so long as I get back right away. I have to watch my baby sister for a little while."

Danny let out a sigh of relief. "I'll see you there in ten minutes."

Meanwhile, in the Ghost Zone, Ghostwriter was peeking warily around the corner of his house. Looking left, right, up and down, he gave a sigh of relief. "Good, she isn't here. Yet. Better do what I can before she shows up again."

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Posted: 1-27-06 

I drew a picture of Bookworm. gasp! www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 28260705/ Paste into the address bar and remove the spaces. It currently isan uncolored picture but I'm coloring it right now. In Paint. It'll go up when I'm happy with it.

**Edit 1-28-06:** Color version found at www. deviantart .com/ deviation/ 28275587/

Should I change the title to _The Life and Times of Danny Fenton_?


	4. Ch 4: Peekaboo, I see you!

Chapter 4: Peek-a-boo, I see you!

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"Where is she? Where is she?" Tucker said in a high-pitched voice, hiding his face with his hands, as he played peek-a-boo. He flipped open his hands to reveal his face with a surprised expression, "There she is!" 

Danny snickered. Tucker looked at him and said, "Aw, lay off it, dude. If you had a baby sister, you'd do it too."

"Possibly, but, guess what? I don't!" Danny said, grinning.

Tucker punched him in the arm, "Go give the hard time to some ghost, not your best friend."

Sally, Tucker's sister stared at her brother a moment before her face began to wind up for a full-blown scream. Tucker looked panicked for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to her, causing her to calm back down and laugh.

"Wow, Tuck, only a year old and she knows all the tricks a girl knows to get a guy to do what she wants," Danny said.

"Tell me about it," Tucker said, making another silly face. The phone rang and Tucker jumped up to answer it, "Keep her entertained, Danny."

"What! Why me?" Danny exclaimed.

"You **do not **want to hear her wail!"

Danny turned his attention to Sally. Her face was red and looked ready to explode. Panicked, he looked around frantically. He looked at her and did the first thing he could think of, he turned his eyes to a glowing green. She stopped like a car hitting a brick wall and stared at him with wide eyes. Danny started to play peek-a-boo with her, like Tucker did earlier, but with a twist. One moment, he would have his eyes blue and then he would switch them to green.

"I ought to suggest to my parents that you baby sit from now on," Tucker said, suddenly, startling Danny.

"Why? I don't need girl trouble any more than once a night."

Tucker snickered, "So you had some earlier. Was it Sam or Valerie?"

Danny glared at Tucker (which Sally found very amusing, judging by her laughter), "No, I met _another_ new ghost. That'd be the third one in the past couple of days."

Tucker looked interested, "Was she cute?"

Danny gave Tucker a weird look. "Um, ew. And, no, she wasn't." Danny thought about the encounter for a moment, "She seemed kind of fan-girlish. Really likes Ghostwriter. I almost feel bad for him." Danny teased, "I know you have a hard time getting dates but you don't have to resort to pursuing the dead."

Tucker shuttered, "You win. Uh, ew. I can't stand thinking about it since you put it that way."

"You set yourself up for that one." Standing up, Danny said, "Well, I've got to go now. I still have homework to finish and with the way this week has been going, there is going to be at least one more ghost attack before bed and two after bedtime."

"And I'm not going to baby sit," Danny preempted Tucker's question. "See you later, Sally," he said, making a funny face.

Danny ran home and discovered that his prediction was accurate, one ghost before bed and two after he should be in bed.

Friday approached with the typical speed of something that a person looks forward to with excitement. In other words, Friday seemed to come very slowly. So slowly, that time seemed to run a second back for every two seconds it went forward. Classes seemed to take twice as long and the ghost attacks more frequent. The bright moments of his days were when he was around his friends and the few times he saw Valerie between classes and at lunch.

When he walked out of the school after detention on Friday, he threw up his arms and yelled, "Freedom!" dropping his books in the process but not caring at all.

He ran down the street and to a secluded spot where he transformed and flew home at top speed, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear.

He nearly ran Jazz over as he ran through the door. Instead, he ran _through _her. "Danny!" she screeched, "Don't do that again!" Her voice dropped down to where he could only hear her as she hissed, "What if it had been mom or dad?"

Danny winced, "Sorry, Jazz. It was reflex. And I get tired of running into people all the time at school and then I have to avoid ghosts when I fight."

"Just try to be more careful in the future." She walked out the door but before she closed it, she added, "Have fun on your date tonight. It's nice to see you doing normal things."

Blinking, he asked, "How'd you know I'm going on a date?"

She gave him a condescending smile, "Your behavior. I'll see you later, Danny."

Danny shook his head and turned around- smack into his father's large form. "Hey, Danny!" his father boomed, "Hope you have fun tonight! Who knows, maybe she'll the be one for you like Maddie was for me."

Danny blushed, "Daaaaad." _Where did he come from? I didn't hear him at all._ "It's only a first date. Why is everyone making such a big deal of it?"

"Because we can," he mother chimed in happily. She grabbed he son's arm and dragged him up the stairs, "We need to pick out the perfect clothing for you."

With much difficulty, Danny managed to escape his parents help (the sheer variety of jumpsuits was frightening) and head out to the theater half an hour early. However, his plan to arrive early did not escape any complications.

So, at six o'clock exactly, Danny ran up to the front of the movie theater. He almost had not made it on time. "Stupid ghosts always show up at the worst possible time," he muttered to himself. He looked around for Valerie but she was not there yet. _Of course, she was chasing the same ghost, so she ought to be showing up right about… now._

"Hey, Danny!" Valerie yelled as she ran up to him. "Sorry I 'm a little late."

He held up a hand, "Not a problem, I just got here a minute ago." _Which is the complete and honest truth._ Then he really _looked_ at Valerie. _Wow. Tucker and Sam were right, this _is _a date. Girls dress up for dates._ "Wow, you look great!" he said.

Valerie smiled at him, "Thanks, though this is an old thing."

"So, you ready to watch monster alien zombies cause death and destruction on an unsuspecting planet?" he asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Oh, yeah!"

* * *

(Insert zombie impression) Braiiiiiiinnnnnnnssssssss….uh, I mean, constructive criticismmmmmmmmmm. 

I made up Tucker's baby sister. We know almost nothing about his family, so I decided he'd have a sister.

Many thanks to Ryo Hoshi for beta reading the chapter.


	5. Ch 5: System Error

Riverfox237, thank you for being a loyal reviewer. It helps me write knowing at least one person is really enjoying the story.

Many thanks to Ryo Hoshi for beta reading the chapter.

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Chapter 5: System Error

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Danny sat down at his usual table with Sam and Tucker. Tucker grinned at him, "Okay, fess up. You can't avoid the topic any longer. How was your date with Valerie?" 

"It was pretty good. We just watched the movie and then went out for ice cream afterwards." Danny smiled, "Though, I think the best part was when we walked by Dash. His expression was priceless."

"Oh, man! I can just see him try to comprehend you on a date with Valerie. He must have been dumbfounded," Tucker said, slapping his leg as he chuckled.

Danny added, "It looked like his brain had crashed."

Tucker chortled.

Sam sighed very softly. She plastered a smile on her face and said, "Well, I'm glad you had a good time."

"Really?" Danny said surprised. "I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't trust her. There's a difference. Under other circumstances, I might like her since she's shed the way of the prep," Sam explained.

Tucker leaned over and said quietly, so only Sam could hear, "You just don't like how she's pursuing Danny."

Sam growled at Tucker who scooted further down the table.

A crash echoed through the cafeteria as someone dropped their lunch tray. "Watch what you're doing, punk!" snapped Dash. He was holding a freshman by the shirt, glaring down at the terrified student.

Danny's ghost sense went off as Dash continued to torment the student. One of the lunch ladies walked up to Dash. "It's alright, sonny. I can whip you up a new tray of food."

"Uh oh," Danny said, seeing who the woman was. "Guys, it going to get interesting here in a moment."

"I wasn't talking to you!" snapped Dash, not sparing the women a glance as he continued to look menacingly at the freshman.

"So you don't want my food? Then you must suffer!" she yelled as she began to float high in the air, summoning all the meat from the cafeteria into a swirling vortex around her head. Dash let out a high-pitched shriek as he dropped the student, and began to run away from the meat-controlling ghost.

The rest of the students in the cafeteria did not hesitate, they began to yell and scream as they ran from the room. They learned from prior experiences with ghost attacks that it was best to get out of Dodge.

"_Little Women_!" exclaimed Mr. Lancer as he ran into the panic filled room, "What is going on here?"

Danny smacked his head, "Why does the past week feel like something out of the _Twilight Zone_? The Box Ghost and now the return of the Lunch Lady, mixed in with the date with Valerie, it feels almost like a bad B science fiction movie."

"I guess that's the story of your life," said Tucker, smacking Danny on the back.

Sam said, "Aren't you going to take care of her?"

"In a minute, it's not everyday I get to see Dash humiliated." They could see Dash dodging pieces of flying meat as he tried to hide somewhere. His jacket was streaked with the juices of the meat he was unable to avoid.

"Danny…" Sam said in an exasperated voice.

"Okay, okay. Cover for me," Danny said ducking under the table with his friends. "I'm goin' ghost!"

Danny turned invisible and flew out from underneath the table. Turning visible, he flew at the Lunch Lady, "I thought we already did this before. I don't want seconds!"

"Growing boys need lots of red meat!" she yelled sending a stream of meat at Danny. Going intangible, he flew through the meat and hit the ghost. Using his momentum, he carried both of them through the walls and outside.

Without waiting for her to recover, Danny blasted her with a series of ectoplasmic blasts. She seemed to recover for a moment but then feel to the ground. Danny floated above her a moment. _I wonder if she'll explode like the monsters on _Power Rangers _did when they fell to the ground defeated? I suppose that would be hoping for too much._

He unscrewed the lid of the thermos and sucked the defeated ghost inside. "Hope it isn't too cramped in there for you," he said, shaking the thermos a little.

Quickly, he flew back into the cafeteria and under the table, where he transformed back. Mr. Lancer came from the window he watched the quick fight from. "Okay students. You can get up now." He looked around the cafeteria. "You all are excused from class to help clean up this mess."

"But Mr. Lancer, we didn't do it," whined one student.

Mr. Lancer crossed his arms, "Would you like to clean it up by yourself?"

"Uh, no," the student cringed, shrinking away from the mad teacher.

"Then don't complain!" the vice-principal snapped. He picked up a piece of meat himself and dropped it in the nearest trashcan. The students closest to him could hear him mutter to a lunchroom monitor, "The custodians won't clean up any excessive ghost messes anymore. They say it isn't in their contract." The off duty teacher nodded in understanding, "I've heard the school board might have to dish out more money if they want to keep teachers here. Some teachers say they aren't being paid enough to teach here."

"Woah," said Sam, "I didn't know the situation was that bad." A teasing grin spread across her face, "You know, if they went to an Ultra-recyclo-vegetarian menu they wouldn't have to increase funding."

"Sam!" Tucker and Danny said at the same time. Then they saw her hunched over, trying to not let her laughter be heard.

"Okay, I guess that was kind of funny," Tucker said. He looked at Danny, "Now where were we?" He gave Danny a sly grin, "I believe you need to tell us more about your date."

"Well-I'm not going to get out of this, am I?" Danny asked, hoping.

"Nope," Tucker said. "We've got all the time to clean up for you to tell us the juicy details. None of that general answer stuff you gave us before. That might satisfy everyone else but I want to know everything," Tucker said rabidly.

Danny scooted away from Tucker. "Dude, you're scaring me."

"Yeah, Tucker. You sound a lot like the girls in Paulina's group," Sam said, wearing a smirk.

Sam and Danny laughed at the horror stuck expression on Tucker's face. "That was mean, Sam," Tucker said.

"But she wasn't far off," Danny added.

"Fine, you win. I'll just have to let my curiosity go unsatisfied." Tucker pulled out his PDA, "Though, I can hack the security cameras around town to see for myself."

Danny shot Tucker a glare and picked up a bucket of water. "I have a bucket full of water and last time I checked, PDA's and water don't mix."

Tucker began to back away slowly and stopped when he heard a throat clear behind him. Guiltily, Danny put his bucket down. Tucker turned and saw Mr. Lancer standing there.

He raised an eyebrow, "I hope you three hooligans can clean up without causing problems, or else, I can make sure you get all the practice you need in the future."

"Yes, Mr. Lancer," they said as one and went back to cleaning the floor with the rest of the people in the cafeteria.


	6. Tucker Interlude, Welcome to Brotherhood

Welcome to Brotherhood, a Tucker Interlude

* * *

Why am I not an only child now? Easy answer. My parents adopted. 

So, instant little sister! Add a drop of water and wait five minutes! Heh. Not really but that's what it seems like. I came home from school one day and they said, "Tucker, you're going to have a little sister."

Well, I can tell you that I was floored. I mean, my parents, at their age? I didn't think my mom could have any more children. I even said as much, earning the Foley Glare© from my dad. It isn't the same as one of the teacher's or Sam's but it can be scarier and it was pretty darn scary then.

Whoops, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, they went on to tell me, "We're adopting. We'd like you to come with us to pick her up." Honestly, I felt like an idiot because my parents had been dropping mountain sized clues that they were adopting, from pointing out baby stuff to seeing how I felt about being a big brother. And I say Danny can be dense.

Still, it was pretty cool to miss a couple days of school. So, now the Foley family has a new member, Sally. No more only child status for me. I just wonder how Sam will cope with her new status? Oops, never mind, she'll revel in being even more different. I wonder if Jazz has any advice on being an older sibling?

* * *

I hate to ask but I really need to know how the story is. With few reviews, I can't tell if I'm doing something right or wrong. So, a little feedback please? 


	7. Ch 6: Multiple Encounters

Chapter 6: Multiple Encounters

-------------

"WHOA!" Danny yelled, as he dodged a blast from Klemper. The attack boomeranged back around and would have given him a haircut from the neck up if he had not phased through it. He gave the ice ghost a look of shock, "Where'd you learn that?"

"Ember said she wouldn't be my friend but she'd teach me something new if I'd leave her alone," the ghost said, smiling with a blank look in his eyes. "Would you be my friend?" he asked for the umpteenth time while attacking Danny.

"For the last time, NO!" Danny said blasting him across the iced over school rooftop. "You're too clingy!" Danny added as he whipped out the thermos and sucked Klemper into it.

Danny could see tears form in the other ghost's eyes as he entered the thermos and heard him say, "I'm clingy?"

"Yes!" the ghost hybrid told him in a definite tone. "Sheesh. You'd think he would've learned that by now." Making sure the cap was secured, he phased through the school roof, absently noticing that the ice was beginning to melt, and into a janitor's closet.

Still invisible, he stuck his head through the door to see who was in the hallway. Seeing no teachers, he changed back and left the closet. No one gave him a glance, after all, Fenton had been coming out of closets, quite literally (not figuratively), all year long.

Danny opened his locker, exchanging a few books for some he was going to need for a homework assignment that night. "Well, today has been an interesting day," he told himself. _Actually, today was fairly typical now that I think of it._

He heard the cracking of knuckles behind him, "Well, then, I guess today is going to get even more interesting for you, Fen-tard!"

_Aw crud._ Danny felt himself be shoved into the locker. Darkness descended around him as Dash slammed the locker shut with laugh. "That always makes me feel better. But I still am going to have to have my jacket dry-cleaned and that's going to cost a bundle," Danny heard Dash say to someone else. _Probably Kwan. Kwan seems to follow him around like a shadow._

"Yeah, too bad about the jacket," Danny heard Kwan say. He smiled grimly to himself, _Yep, Kwan. Guess I won that bet with myself._

"Hey! Look at that nerd over there! He looks like he needs some 'help'," Kwan said, trying to help Dash feel better in his own way.

Danny heard the pair run off after the poor nerd. Then he became aware that someone was turning the combination on his locker. The door opened and revealed Tucker and Sam looking in with concern.

"You okay?" Tucker asked.

Danny almost said something about the standard question but changed his mind. "Actually, I am okay." Danny stepped out of his locker with the grace of someone who had done it man, many times, "All he did was shove me in my locker. I'm surprised he didn't beat me up some."

Sam looked over her shoulder, "He seems to be taking out his frustration on **all **of his usual targets. He beat up about six guys before he got to you. He's been working off his juvenile anger on whomever he sees fit."

"So, what do you guys want to do?" Tucker asked.

"I have a poetry reading this evening but I'm free up until then," Sam said.

Danny looked a little downcast, "I promised my parents to come straight home to do my homework, so I can't do anything right now. They found my last test." His friends heard him mutter, "That's also assuming there aren't any ghost attacks." He gave them a lopsided grin, "Guess I'd better get home. Call you guys when I get done."

"Okay. See ya later, Danny," Tucker said, waving at his departing best friend.

He turned to Sam, "Want to go to the arcade and play some mindless video games so we can recuperate from Monday?"

"Sure, why not?" Sam shrugged. "What is a better way to kill time than to kill fake bad guys?"

Danny felt bad about bailing on his friends but, if everything worked out, he would get to go to a poetry reading. _Not that I really like poetry but it makes Sam happy._

"You don't like poetry?" asked a female voice as his ghost sense triggered.

He whipped around to see Bookworm, with her arms full of books (surprise, surprise). _I said that last bit aloud?_ he asked himself.

She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and sniffed, "No wonder you couldn't see the beauty in poem that Ghostwriter saw you fit to star in."

"You leave him alone, ghost!" yelled another female voice. Bookworm yelped and ducked an ecto-blast. Valerie, in her ghost-hunting garb, swooped around overhead. She yelled at Danny, "Get out of here!" Danny stood gaping a moment at her before he looked one last time at the bookish ghost. "I'll let her handle you today. But she isn't as nice as me," he said, running off down the street.

Bookworm gave a squeal of fright and flew off as fast as she could from the ghost hunter. Danny could hear her wail, "I just wanted to checkout some library books! I was going to go back to the Ghost Zone right afterward!"

He stopped in mid-run, "She was checking out library books? How does a ghost get a card to do that? I thought you had to be alive."

Bookworm zipped down the middle of the street, phasing through traffic as she went. "Leave me alone!" she wailed. An ecto-blast passed close to her bag of books. Her eyes turned a malevolent green and she stopped dead. "You almost destroyed my books," she said flatly.

"You aren't getting away from me ghost!" shouted the ghost hunter.

Bookworm turned to face Valerie, "Who says I'm running away now? Anyone who shows disrespect for books, especially library books, needs to be taught a lesson."

The ghost flew high in the air, with Valerie following her. She stopped and went straight at the ghost hunter with a powered up drop kick. Her clumsiness caused her to miss the ghost hunter but not the hover board.

With a resounding crack, the board broke and began to spiral downward, out of control. Danny watch in horror as Valerie headed straight for the rooftops. He hardly stepped into an alley before he changed to Danny Phantom and flew up to save Valerie.

-----------------

Posted: 2-17-06


	8. Ch 7: And so the day goes on

There was no chapter last week because my creative muses were being fueled into an anime music video (AMV).

* * *

Chapter 7: And so the day goes on

-------------------

As he caught Valerie, Danny dropped a few feet so the effects of stopping were lessened. For a few moments, she lay in his arms, dazed.

Danny could almost see her blink behind her mask as she focused on him. She snarled, "What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!" Valerie squirmed in his arms as he struggled to hold onto her.

"I don't think you want me to let go of you thirty feet above any surface. It wouldn't kill you but it might break some bones and it would hurt." She snarled wordlessly at him but let up on squirming. "What do _you_ think you're doing infuriating the book obsessed ghost? That's my job," he joked. There was a high-pitched whine as a charged up ecto-gun was shoved in his face.

"Uh, that's not a good idea. Like I said before, I don't want to drop you. Besides, that ghost still wants to teach you a lesson," Danny told the red-suited ghost hunter as he placed her on the ground. She fired the gun at him. Danny allowed the beam to pass through his now intangible body. He had been expecting an attack like that. He sighed, "I know you despise me with every fiber of your being but I'm not _trying_ to hurt you…or any other human for that matter."

"Shut up, ghost," Valerie hissed, not taking her eyes off Danny for a moment.

Before either could say anything more, Bookworm fired off a few ecto-blasts, proving she was not just a bubbly air-headed bookworm. Valerie rolled away from the attacks while they passed through the still intangible Danny.

Danny rolled his eyes, "Just how do you plan on chasing her down since you lost your hover board?"

"I'll, um…oh drat!" she said, actually stomping her foot in frustration. She jumped out of the way of a stray ecto-blast. Angrily, she turned her ecto-gun on the bookish ghost.

Danny had to admit (only to himself) that she had an accurate aim under duress. Bookworm dodged the blasts very clumsily, finally being taken down by one well-placed shot. "Hah!" Valerie scoffed, pointing at Danny, "See, I don't need the board you stupid ghost!"

Danny smacked his face and shook his head. _There's no way she'll listen to me._ "Fine. I'll let you take care of her," Danny said as he flew off.

He heard Valerie yell at him, "Come back here, ghost! Don't think you can run from me." Danny swore he could hear her shake her fist at him. A glance back proved he was correct. It also provided him with enough warning to dodge a barrage of blasts from the irate ghost hunter (and sort of girlfriend).

Landing in an alley, Danny looked at his watch. "Aw crud! I am so late! And if dad is the only one home, he will put me in the Fenton Stockades," Danny said, running for home.

To his immense relief, his mom was the only one home. "Sorry I'm late, mom. I got distracted by watching a fight between a ghost and that red suited ghost hunter," Danny said rapidly, to forestall the triad that was brewing on his mother's face.

As if someone flipped a switch, she was all ears, "Really? What happened?"

Breathing an internal sigh of relief, Danny went on to tell what happened with some careful omissions and half-truths. As he finished up, he noticed that his mom was taking notes. Maddie put down her pen and looked at her watch with surprise, "Sorry, honey, I didn't realize I was keeping you from your homework!"

"It's okay, mom," Danny said. _It's not like I actually want to work on homework._ He took his backpack and ran up the stair. His mother yelled up at him, "No going out until your homework is done!"

"Fine!" he yelled back as he closed his bedroom door. He dropped his backpack on the floor as he flopped down on the bed. He rolled over to stare up at the ceiling. "What a day. Is it me or are there really more ghost attacks? Where are they coming from?" Danny closed his eyes, "I hope Plasmius isn't up to something again."

Fifteen minutes later, he was woken up by his cell phone ringing. "Uh, wha-?" he started, trying to figure out the sound. He jumped off his bed and dug through his backpack. "Hello?"

"You're late, Fenton," Sam growled at him from the other end.

"Drat! Sorry, Sam. More ghost stuff and my mom happened after I went home. I can't come tonight," Danny apologized.

"You sound like you just woke up."

Danny laughed nervously, "Uh, yeah, I just did. I kind of fell asleep."

Sam made a disgusted sound and said bye. Danny closed the phone and looked at it longingly wishing he could go and have some fun without worries.

---------------

Danny let out a long-suffering sigh as he closed the textbook and put it back in his backpack. Judging by the sounds his classmates were making, they were all in general agreement, the only thing drier than reading the textbook was the teacher reading it aloud in class.

He could hear one student mutter, "Why can't a ghost attack when we really need it?"

Danny stopped himself from nodding in agreement when the teacher flashed a look of irritation across the room.

Quickly, to avoid even more ire of the teacher, the students scurried out of the classroom for the short freedom that existed between classes. It was at his locker that Danny was ambushed, not by Dash or his friends but by Valerie.

"Hey, Danny," she said, giving him a flirty look.

He blinked and smiled at her, "Hey, Valerie. What's up?"

"Not much. You want to go out to dinner tonight?" she asked casually.

Danny sighed, "I can't. I'm kind of have to stay home this week after 4." He perked up, "How about we go out for shakes after school? I think I have some time for that."

"You've got a date," Valerie said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before running off to the next class.

Danny grinned foolishly for a moment before he ran off to his next class. Around the corner, Sam was grinding her teeth as she watched the pair. Tucker stared nervously at her before he stepped away. "Heh. Calm down, Sam. Everyone's going to know you're jealous if you keep acting like that."

"I'm not jealous," she said, stomping off to class.

* * *

Posted: 3-4-06 


	9. Ch 8: Not wrapped in a neat package

As Valerie was about to take a bite out of her sandwich she saw a blast of ectoplasm fly overhead. Ignoring the exclamations of surprise from Tucker and Sam, she whipped around and saw the source of the blast. _It's that ghost from before! The one during that stupid flour baby assignment. What'd he call himself? Never mind that! I owe him big time!_

She quickly wrapped her sandwich back up and put it in her lunch bag. Zipping out of the door, she threw her lunch bag into a bush, knowing it would still be there later.

Pushing the button on her watch, her red jumpsuit appear. Leaping into the air, her hover board appeared and she went for the ghost. She did not feel deterred to see Danny Phantom battling the other specter. If anyone could see her face, they would have seen a predatory grin grace her face as she drew a weapon and fired, first at the unknown ghost, and then Danny Phantom.

Her grin grew when she saw the unknown ghost fall back as the blast hit him. Danny Phantom dodged the blast. That he dodged, was not a surprise, to the ghost hunter. He was good. She knew that. Better to take out the obviously weaker ghost, rather than wasting energy on a more powerful ghost, in the event that she could not take him down.

The next thing that happened was not totally unexpected. Phantom pulled out something and sucked the ghost into it. She really wanted to do that to him.

She accelerated towards the black and white clad ghost, with the intention of blowing him out of existence.

To her frustration, he gave her a mocking half salute and grin before vanishing completely. A voice floated by her. "Thanks for the help! We should work together more often."

Valerie let out a roar of rage before turning around and going back to lunch. There were only a few minutes of lunch left. As unappealing as her lunch was, she quickly ate all she could. It would be a bad thing if she collapsed in the middle of a ghost battle because she has not had enough to eat.

Danny also seemed rather winded. His friends were not surprised to see him shovel as much food down as he could and storing what would keep in his bag.

---------------------

Days later, Danny wished for that day again, even with the fact that he had to deal with Valerie again (a better encounter than most). If asked, he would say that it might have something to do with Skulker. And Skulker's new assortment of weaponry and enhanced armor. What attacks Skulker could not avoid, his armor seemed to deflect them off to the side to hit trees, buildings, and one (now singed) squirrel.

Skulker laughed as Danny flew, dodging the missiles that tracked him. Out of the corner of his eye, Danny could see what looked like an ectoblast, coming straight for him. He moved to get out of the path of it and blundered into a fresh missile that Skulker just launched.

Danny managed to pull himself out of the fall but it had been bad. He had to wonder what the missile might have had in it.

To his surprise, the next time he saw Skulker, Skulker was just feet away from him, wearing a grin of triumph. Danny tried to focus and go intangible or dodge out of the way but found that his head was still muddled from the missile blast.

Skulker's fist connected squarely with Danny's stomach, the force of which caused him to fly backwards.

Danny slammed against the building. The impact knocked him unconscious, forcing him to change back to human. His body slid from the building and began to plummet downward, rapidly approaching the ground.

-------------------------

Valerie zipped in at the ghost as she watched the ghost boy be hit head on by a powerful blast. She fired off a few shots of the gun in rapid succession while dodging an attack. She looked back and witnessed the last thing she expected, the ghost boy changing into Danny Fenton.

Not wasting a moment or taking time to think about what she saw, Valerie raced downward on her board towards the unconscious boy. With almost cliché precision, she caught Danny just before he would have hit the ground.

She glanced upwards and saw the ghost preparing to fire again. She held on tighter to Danny and flew away from the ghost. She dodged one blast after another. Pulling a loop around the approaching ghost so she would be behind him. With expert precision, she shot Skulker three times, sending him off on an erratic path. She landed and placed Danny in some bushes. At the same time, she heard Skulker crash and his muffled curses. "You owe me some explanations, Danny Fenton! And I intend to collect shortly," she told the unconscious boy.

She took the Fenton Thermos from Danny and boarded her board before Skulker could recover. _I've seen him use this a couple of times. Hope it works for me._

Valerie could hear Skulker's muffled yells of frustration as he tried to get his flight equipment to work. Slowly she came up on the hunter. He was giving a very good impression of having a temper tantrum.

His armor was cracked and falling off in a few places from the prolonged fight. Valerie shot him with a ghost bazooka. He gave a yell of surprise as his armor disintegrated around him, leaving his true ghost form susceptible.

He turned around in time to see Valerie open the thermos and point it in his direction. "Enjoy your trip," she added maliciously.

"I'll be back and better than ever, hunter girl!" he yelled as the blue beam pulled him in.

"I'll be ready for you then," she snarled.

Valerie screwed on the cap and hopped back on her board. She flew up over to Danny. He was beginning to stir as he let out a small moan.

-----------------------------

Danny felt a wave of pain wash through his body as he came up out of the darkness. He tried to move but it hurt and a groan escaped. He forced his eyes open and had to shut them because looking at the bright sky hurt his eyes. _If I don't get up now, I don't think I'll be getting up for a while._

Danny took a slow, deep breath and forced himself to open his eyes.

"That's going to really hurt tomorrow. Or now." He forced himself into a sitting position and gingerly touched the back of his head.

Danny winced at pain and was about to try standing when he became aware of the red-garbed ghost hunter. He felt a chill run down his sore spin as he put some pieces of the puzzle together. _Oh boy, this isn't good._

"Um," Danny said, at a loss at what to say.

"Okay, Fenton, I'm going to give you a chance to explain before I decide what to do about you," Valerie said.

"Where to start?" Danny asked himself. He rubbed his face with his hands. _Well, duh, the beginning._ "Okay, when my parents first made the ghost portal, it didn't work. With some encouragement from Tucker and Sam, I decided to check it out and see if I could get it to work. I was inside the first time it turned on. And when I woke up, I discovered that I had changed."

"Oh my goodness," Valerie whispered, horror growing inside her, as she pulled off her mask and sat down on the ground. She had been hunting him. She could have killed him. Maybe he wasn't alive, a voice whispered. "I thought stuff like that killed people."

"It probably has but it didn't kill me. I decided to use my…abilities to catch the ghosts that always seem to be escaping from the portal." He gave a self-depreciating grin, "I can tell you it hasn't been fun. Being framed for stuff I didn't do, having ghosts after me, and even being controlled."

Danny looked at Valerie sadly, "I still feel bad about the ghost dog. I know he basically ruined your father's career. I don't know _exactly_ where he came from but I do have some ideas. I'm certain he was part of a setup to get you interested in ghost hunting and to make me look guilty."

Valerie opened her mouth to say something but decided to continue to listen. _I'm confused. This isn't like I thought it would be._

Danny sighed loudly, "I don't know what else to tell you that would make the story even longer. I suppose you could ask questions."

Valerie glared a little at him, "What about that thing with Pariah Dark. Why did you let my dad know about my ghost hunting?"

"Let's see, you were hurt and I was at one-hundred percent. Plus, I don't have to rely on outside weapons. It seemed like the best idea at the time to prevent you from going." Danny braced a hand on the ground and attempted to stand but discovered that he still did not have the strength.

Valerie stood up and after a moment of thought, offered Danny a hand up. He looked surprised but did not reject her offer.

"Danny, I have to think about what you told me. I don't know what'll happen now," she said, wearily. She rubbed her temples, "I have really enjoyed going out with you but right now I feel betrayed. You knew about me and didn't say anything. Right now, I just want some space to think."

"Okay. I understand," Danny said, quietly.

He watched Valerie put her hood back on and hop on her board. With care, took a few steps but nearly fell. "Okay, this isn't going to work." He took a deep breath, braced himself, and said, "I'm going ghost."

The power swept over Danny, its inexplicable power turning him into Danny Phantom. _At least the pain doesn't seem any worse._ Quickly, he turned invisible and took flight, flying home.

Danny flew into his room and changed back as he collapsed onto his bed. "Ooofff!" he groaned, "I forgot that everything still hurts." He kicked off his shoes and climbed under his bed sheets. Before five minutes passed, Danny was in a deep, healing sleep.

--------------------

"What happened yesterday?!" Tucker and Sam yelled as the trio walked to school the next morning.

"Valerie found out and she said she had to think about it," Danny explained, patiently.

"This is very bad! I knew you going out with her would be no good! I knew it!" Sam said self-righteously.

"Whoa, Sam, I think you're over reacting. She hasn't done anything and she's known since yesterday afternoon? I think she really is waiting," said Tucker. "Still, for all we know she's lying in wait and is going to ambush you."

"Gee, thanks," Danny said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Tucker and Sam looked at each other and looked at Danny. "Are you sure you're all right?" ask Sam.

"Yeah," added Tucker, "I thought you'd be freaking out or something."

"Well, I kind of collapsed when I got home, so I couldn't freak out then and once I woke up Jazz ambushed me." Danny looked over his shoulder. "She made me tell her what happened. As much as I hate to admit it, talking about it with her helped." He checked to make sure Jazz was not around, "Don't tell her I said this, but she might actually make a good psychologist."

Sam and Tucker grinned a little at his statement. "I won't tell," Tucker said, holding up a hand, "Scout's honor."

Sam punched him in the arm, "You aren't a scout. You need to swear on your PDA." Tucker capitulated and swore on his PDA.

Danny was laughing at some joke Tucker told when he saw Sam freeze. Following her eyes, he saw Valerie. She looked tired, like she had tried to sleep, and found herself unable to do so.

She looked up and caught sight of the three teens. Shaking her head slightly to clear her mind, Valerie decided that she needed to face him sooner or later. It would not be easy on a poor night's sleep but sooner would be better than later and before school better than after school. With all that went on in a day, putting it off would be unwise.

Valerie raised a hand and waved to Danny, "Could I talk to you for a minute, Danny?" Under other circumstances, she would have taken the posture of Danny's friends to mean something else but now she could see that the posture meant they would come to his aid if he needed it. With how close they were, they had to know.

Danny trotted across the road. Danny saw that he was not mistaken in his reading to how tired Valerie was. He motioned to a bench, "How about we sit and talk?"

She nodded wearily and dropped onto the bench.

"Look, Danny," said Valerie, not quite making eye contact with Danny. "I really don't know what to do. I can't believe I'm telling you this. But I had a lot of time to think about what you said last night and remember... all of our... encounters. Maybe I haven't judged you fairly. _Maybe_," she stressed. "All I'm saying is that I'm going to give you a chance. But don't step out of line. I'm watching you."

"That's all I wanted, Valerie," Danny said, reaching out and resting a hand on her shoulder, "A chance."

He saw Sam and Tucker waving frantically at him. He heard the ten minute warning bell. "Look, you want to come with us?"

Valerie stood up. "Thanks but no. I still need some time to think. You, me, and what is going to happen."

Danny picked up his backpack and looked both ways, waiting for a break in the traffic. "Well, whatever happens, I would like, at the very least, to stay friends. I don't have so many that I can be choosy about them."

Valerie blinked and then said, "Hey! Come back here, Fenton!" She chased him across the street, a grin on her face that she could not hold back. He was right. She couldn't be choosy either.

Valerie decided at that moment, that their relationship, whatever it was and may become, was worth the effort it took to keep and build on.

* * *

Okay, I decided to sit down and finish this fic. I hate it when people leave the reader hanging and I'm am throughly ashamed of doing it myself. This is the final chapter. It is rather open ended because one day I may want to pick up again and if I wrapped up all the lose ends, I wouldn't be able to do that.

Finished: 1-13-08


End file.
